Constrictors



May 22, 1956 c. E. CLOUD 2,746,225

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May 22, 1955 c. E. CLOUD 2,746,225

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C. E. CLOUD CONSTRICTORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 CONSTANTLY ROTATING SHAFT/38 C. E. CLOUD CONSTRICTORS May 22, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Feb. 9, 1949 www v f A4 n u y@ 4 d L n United States Patent O CoNsTRICToRs Charles E. Cloud, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to William S. Cloud, Wilmette, Ill.

Original application February 9, 1949, Serial No. 75,322. Divided and this application February 1S, 1952, Serial No. 272,233

5 Claims. (Cl. 53-370) This invention relates to methods of constricting an article of relatively large cross-section and to apparatus, workable in an unusually iiat plane, for practicing such methods.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and from the drawings.

Two general embodiments of the invention, selected for the purposes of illustration, are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1-6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the various changed positions in the operation of wrapping a spherical object and constricting the neck of the wrapper.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 6, showing the mechanism for driving geared rings 61.

The remaining gures show a preferred modification of the invention as follows:

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 8 8 of Fig. 9 to show the support of the choke ring.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of an apparatus for practicing the invention.

Figures 10-16 are diagrammatic vertical sectional views showing the successive stages in the wrapping of an article and constricting the neck of the wrapper.

Although the law requires a full and exact description of at least one form of the invention, such as -that which follows, it is, of course, the purpose of a patent to cover each new inventive concept therein, no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions of further improvements; and the appended claims are intended to accomplish this purpose yby particularly pointingV out the parts, improvements or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

The specific use for which the invention shown in the drawings was designed is the closing of the neck of packages such as those made by the wrapping machines described and illustrated in my prior application, Serial No. 75,322, tiled February 9, 1949, now Patent No. 2,615,200, granted Oct. 28, 1952, of which this application is a division. There, in each case, a web or sheet of stretchable and heat-scalable material 6 is drawn from a roll to a position `over an opening in a plate. The portion of the web immediately over the opening is forced through it to form a pocket, into which anvarticle is deposited. The pocket is then closed Iby the constricting apparatus which is the subject matter hereof, and which is positioned around the neck of the pocket below the opening in the plate.

For purposes of brevity and to focus attention upon the constrictor, some details, such as the mounting, timing and driving, which are fully illustrated and described in my said prior application, are not here set forth as completely. Reference is hereby made lto my said prior application for such detail, the disclosure thereof being incorporated herein by reference.

As is indicated above, I have illustrated two general embodiments of the invention. In the rst, there is a 2,746,225 Patented May 22, 1956 JCC single action constrictor in which a single rotatable ring is provided. In the second, there is a double action constrictor in which .two rotatable rings are provided. In each case, the constricting apparatus is positioned around the neck of a pocket, which is to be closed.

Single action type To close with greater speed and efficiency, and to allow the use of one closing mechanism regardless of the size or ytype of the contents of the pockets, I prefer to use the pocket closing mechanism shown in Figures 146. Rotatably mounted around the upper portions of sleeves 41, at the outside thereof, are geared rings 61, the teeth of which mesh so that all such rings may lbe driven through one of them. At spaced intervals endless bands or strips 62 of rubber or other suitable material are attached between rings `61 and the edges of the openings 10 in plate 11. These strips do not have to be of stretchable material, although .that permits some simplification and is preferred. The twisting of rings 61 Iforces these strips 62 from a separated, substantially Vertical position, as shown in Figures 1-3, into an intersecting, substantially horizontal position, as shown in Figures 7, 4 and 5, closing ythe pockets surprisingly tightly.

The sealing of the pockets pockets are closed, if sealing is desirable. If the sheet material used is the common, non-stretchable P-liolilm, it must have been previously heated to render it stretchable, and the mere closing of the pockets will seal them, since they will not have been v.stretched excessively or allowed to stand long enough to lose their tackiness. To heat-seal certain other sheet materials, it may lbe necessary to use strips 62 of resistance wire or -other material which will conduct heat and to heat them 'by electricity at the -moment .they eiect a closure of the pockets. When using other materials which are not heat-scalable, it may be desirable to hold the closure by glue, cord or tape. Apparatus for this is old in the packaging art.

One apparatus which may be used to Itwist the rings 61 is best shown in Fig. 7. At the desired time, air is admitted to cylinder 63, forcing out rack or geared rod 69, which is meshed with gear 71 mounted on vertical rod or shaft 72, rotatably mounted on the frame, and having mounted thereon gear 73, which is meshed with one of the geared rings 61; The air cylinder and controls are preferably of the type, commercially available, which forces rod 69 first out and then in, thus returning strips 62 .to their substantially vertical positions, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the apparatus is readied for the next articles. This type of apparatus permits control of the amount of twisting which is done, which may be necessary if, for example, strips 62 are of resistance wire or other relatively non-stretchable material.

lt is to be noted that the closing or constricting apparatus described is admirably adaptable for remote uses such as lfor holding objects.

may be eiected when the Double action type In this type, instead of having a series of separate and independent strips attached vbetween a single rotatable ring and the edges of the opening, as illustrated in the single action type, l prefer to thread a single lband 187 between openings in a pair of rotatable rings.

After the article to be wrapped has been dropped into the pocket as seen in' Fig. 13, either by hand or by a feeding mechanism, the choke rings close the upper portion of the pocket above the article, as indicated in Figures 14 and 15. The choke rings and their operation are seen best in Fig. 9, and their support is seen best in Fig. 8. The band 187, which is threaded through and between the choke rings, is preferably rubber covered with a braided tube of nylon. One length is used, threaded across from hole to hole, instead of a plurality of short lengths each from one ring to the other only, so as to obtain the advantage of some stretching between the holes of one ring. This pays out a little extra length from each ring to supplementthe portion of the strand between the rings when required.

According to the preferred form of operation indicated in Fig. 9, both rings are normally constantly rotated by a shaft 188, which is constantly driven. LThe choking is accomplished by restraining Ythe lower ring 119 and stopping it while the upper ring 11S continues to rotate.

To this end, ring 113 is driven constantly by pinion 189 keyed to shaft'188. Ring 119 is driven by pinion 191 which may be called a oating pinion in that it is not permanently connected to shaft 13S. It is Vdriven by shaft 188 through spring 192, which also presses it upwardly. The spring 192 urges the pinion 191 to a forwardly rotated position in which therings 113 and 119 are aligned so that the intervening portionsof strand 187 extend more or less straight up and down between the rings 11S and 119.

Ar the proper time for choking, the pinion 191 is.

stopped by a friction brake 193. The continued rotation of upper ring 11S after lower -ring 119 is thus stopped stretches the intervening portions of strand 187 across the opening within the rings. Preferably both rings 118 and 119 then rotate in the same relative position with respect to one another to twist the neck of the wrapper. The neck may by then have been severed from the web, but preferably it is kept intact, the lower part of the package having been released instead. The brake 193 will then be released and the spring 192 will drive the pinion 191 faster than the pinion 189 so that the lower ring 119 catches up with the upper ring 11S, thereby opening the choking strand 187 to release the package (Fig. 16).

The described action of pinion 191 under influence of the spring 192 and the brake 193 is accomplished with the aid of a floating pin 194 (Figures 8 and 9). This pin is held by an idler collar 196. Its ends run in concentric grooves in pinions 189 and 191. Each groove extends almost, but not quite, all the way aronnd its pinion. The two ends of the groove in the pinion 189 are separated by a lug 197 (Fig. 8), and the two ends of the groove in pinion 191 are separated by a lug 198.

When pinion 191 is free from brake 193, it is driven ahead by spring 192 until lug 198 bears against pin 194 which in turn bears against lug 197. This holds the rings 118 and 119 in the desired normal alignment while they both rotate. When the brake .193 is applied to pinion 191, the pinionV 191 stops. Lug 197 carried by pinion 189 continues to rotate and after approximately one revolution it strikes pin 194 and rotates the pin 194 with its collar 196. After approximately another revolution, the pin 194 strikes lug 198 and Vdrives the pinion 191 in spite of the friction applied thereto by brake 193. Thus the amount of relative rotation between rings 118 and 119 is controlled and the two rings rotate together in the relationship which has produced the desired choking. The amount of relative rotation betweenrings 118 and 119 depends on the relative sizes between these rings and the pinions 199 and 191, approximately one revolution having been found suitable.

The choking brake 193 is carried by a yoke 201, which is pivotally carried by shaft 147. A leverZtZ, also pivotally carried by shaft 147, actcatesV the yoke 201, through an adjustment screw 203, and is in turn actuated by cam 204 on shaft 133. Thus the brake is applied in timed relation to the remainder of the machine with a braking force adjusted by screw 293. Y

The choke rings 11S and 119 are preferably mounted as seen in Fig. 8. Thus each one is positioned vertically by flanges or washers 206, which are positioned at at least three points around the periphery of the rings. Also, each ring is centered beneath the opening about the axis of the pocket of tube 114 described in my said prior application by at least three positioners such as pinions or rollers 207. Unless the rings 118 and 119 are provided with smooth annular shoulders, in addition to their teeth, the positioners 297 should be pinions meshing with the teeth of the rings. Flanges 266 and pinions 207 located at the four positions shown in Fig. 8 have been found to be adequate. A set of .flanges A2545 is positioned above ring 119 to resist the upward pull on that ring by the bands 187 when they are stretched.y The pinions 207 may of course 1oe provided with a rolling type of bearing if desired. Y

The constricting apparatus can be used for constricting a paper wrap or constricting even beyond the eld of packaging as in constricting itself to close or partially close an aperture or constricting upon any member needing to be held, or held and approximately centered.

I claim:

1. Constricting apparatus comprising a plurality of elastic strip portions, means circumferentially surrounding an axis controlling at spaced intervals one end of each of the said strip portions, means circumferentially surrounding the said axis controlling the other end of each of the said strip portions at intervals and so positioned that each of said strip portions is separated from the others and is inititally relatively widely spaced from said axis, and means for rotating one of said controlling means with respect to the other to force portions of said strip portions approximately to said axis and into engagement with one another.

2. Constricting apparatus comprising a plurality of elastic strip portions, means circumferentially surrounding an axis controlling at spaced intervals one end of each of the said strip portions, means circurnferentially surrounding the said axis controlling the other end of each of the'said strip portions at intervals and so positioned that said strip portions are spaced around and separated from said axis, and means for rotating one of said controlling means with respect to the other to force portions of said strip portions closer to said axis.

3. Apparatus for closing the neck of pocketed sheet material above a fill including a constrictor having elastic elements successively disposed circumferentially around the neck of the pocket above the fill but each extending longitudinally of the neck between the two ends of the constrictor and spaced substantially from the axis thereof, and driving means for rotating one end of the constrictor with respect to the other to draw portions of the elements toward said axis; said driving means including a constantly driven wheel for constantly rotating one end of the constrictor, a spring, one end of which is driven to rotate with said wheel, a second wheel coaxial with the first wheel, and urged in a forward rotative direction by the other end of the spring, and means for retarding the second Wheel to retard the associated end of the constrictor.

4. Apparatus for closing the neck of pocketed sheet material above a till including a constrictor having elastic elements successively disposed circumferentially around the neck of the pocket above the ll but Veach extending longitudinally of the neck between the two ends of the constrictor and spaced substantially from the axis thereof, and driving means for rotating one end of the constrictor with respect to the other to draw portions of the elements toward said axis; said driving means including a constantly driven wheel for constantly rotating one end of the constrictor, a spring, one end of which is driven to rotate with said wheel, a second wheel coaxial with the first wheel, and urged in a forward rotative direction by the other end of the spring, and means for retarding the second wheel to retard the associated end of the constrictor, and means for controlling the relative rotation between the two ends of the constrictor including pin means fioatably disposed between the two wheels and engaging stops thereon in opposite directions, the

stops in one direction acting through the pin to limit the spring-urged movement of the second wheel and the stops in the other direction engaging the pin means after more than one revolution of the wheels relative to one another to prevent further relative rotation of the wheels.

5. Apparatus for closing the neck of pocketed sheet material above a iill including a constrictor having elastic elements successively disposed circumferentially around the neck of the pocket above the ll but each extending longitudinally of the neck between the two ends of the constrictor and spaced substantially from the axis thereof, and driving means for rotating one end of the constrictor with respect to the other to draw portions of the elements toward said axis; said driving means inclnding a constantly driven wheel for constantly rotating one end of the constrictor, a spring, one end of which is driven to rotate with said wheel, a second wheel coaxial with the rst wheel, and urged in a forward rotative direction by the other end of the spring, means for retarding the second wheel to retard the associated end of the constrictor, and means for controlling the relative rotation between the two ends of the constrictor including pin means floatably disposed between the two wheels and engaging stops thereon in opposite directions, the stops in one direction acting through the pin to limit the spring-urged movement of the second wheel and the stops in the other direction engaging the pin means after more than one revolution of the wheels relative to one another to prevent further relative rotation of the wheels, said retarding means comprising a frictional brake yielding under the inuence of said pin means to drive the second wheel by slippage with respect to said brake.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 429,759 Hiatt June 10, 1890 516,638 Nininger Mar. 13, 1894 2,569,850 Falconer Oct. 2, 1951 2,587,188 McFadden Feb. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,489 Great Britain Apr. 10, 1941 634,975 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1950 

